Fayetteville Today

Tuesday’s early-morning fire at Black Ops Paintball, located on River Road in Fayetteville, is under investigation as arson, Cumberland County Sheriff’s officials confirmed.

“Unfortunately, it's horrible that something like that would happen to a business,” Tanea Brown, public information officer for the sheriff’s office, told ABC 11 News. “We hope that anyone that knows any information about what's going on, please call us.” 

She stressed that every piece of information, even if someone thinks it’s negligible, can be vital.

"It helps us a ton," Brown told ABC 11 News. "Even just a small bit of information will help us, and we greatly appreciate that. So if they could give us any information they have, whether it's a vehicle or a person — anything — just give us a call."

A source with knowledge of the investigation told the reporter that the fire likely started near the front of the building by the cash registers. Investigators do not yet have access to the security footage, according to ABC 11 News.

The suspicious blaze, which started at about 4:30 a.m. Tuesday, came only a week after Black Ops Paintball was robbed. During the robbery, thieves got away with about $20,000 worth of merchandise, cash from the registers, and about $1,000 in donations for a charity drive. Black Ops, owned by a veteran, often donates to a nonprofit that helps wounded veterans and the underprivileged.

"It's disheartening when someone comes into your home or business and they take something that isn't theirs," Black Ops Paintball general manager John Maninga told ABC11 News. "Somebody coming in and kind of stepping on that or taking away from the stuff we do for the community, it just makes me angry."

The business reopened today, with limited services, according to a post on its Facebook page.